Igalyph

Igalyphs are the most mysterious social… or not so social Lythians. Donned “crypt keepers,” fittingly, they are rarely seen above ground. They act somewhat like earthworms; when the soil or clay they reside in isn’t to their liking, they’ll seek solace above ground.

When below ground, Igalyphs create residence complexes for themselves. They will socialize with one another, but in… very odd ways. They usually click their fingers together to create combinations that translate into a language for them. Other gestures suggest they might speak telepathically.

In reality, Igalyphs are not mysterious and elusive on purpose. They have a very unreliable memory system and generally rely on one another for information, somewhat hivemind-like. Over a couple of months, they’ll collectively forget their own language and adapt it with new expressions to replace previous words. So, quite literally, they communicate in ciphers.

Igalyphs above ground are mound-builders. They use their time above ground to create earth-based artworks. Sometimes, if there is a prolonged flood or drought, Igalyphs can create large-scale works similar to that of a livable island with an ecosystem. Igalyphs were said to have terraformed their native realm of Mausolia and groomed it to be habitable by the array of Lythians present in it.

✦ Body
Their upper body is made of a inorganic material that is smooth and cold to the touch, but may appear matte or glossy, depending on the individual. They are shaped into a ribbed shell of sorts, which features a spinelike protrusion that runs down their back and onto their lower-body apparition.

✦ Receptors
Igalyphs do not have ears, but instead, have a pair of receptors atop their head. They may vary in length and width, but are always diamond-shaped. They sense vibrations through their receptors, then use this information to navigate their way around obstacles. These Lythians can sense seismic happenings so far in advance that they are rarely in jeopardy by these natural disasters.

✦ Hair
They can have ribbonlike hair or natural hair atop their head.

✦ Eyes
Upon their flat faces sit glowing, empty eyes. These are the only facial features they have besides a brow bone.

✦ Core?
There seems to be a hole where a core would be...

✦ Arms
Igalyphs have flat, ribbonlike arms that vary in length and width, but always end in flat fingerlike appendages. Some have one off to the side, kind of like an opposable thumb.

✦ Chargers?
Six glowing marks orientated in a 2x3 pattern are found at the end of their arms, near their fingers. They can be on one side or show on both, but are always set in their placement. Some protrude slightly and may be not-as-perfect circles, but there’s typically very little variation. It is assumed that these are an Igalyph’s chargers, but what are they charging when there is no core?

✦ Apparition
Igalyph lower bodies consist of preservatives that hold together fossilized remains of prehistoric creatures. This can include an array of bones and fossils, as well as pieces of ancient technology. Some apparition variations have been discovered, which include ether, sludge, hardened earth, and various combinations of these.

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- An Igalyph does not have a core, just a hole in their upper construct.
- Their receptors are always diamond shaped with varying lengths and widths.
- Their empty eyes and brow bone are their only true facial features.
- Their ribbonlike arms have six false chargers on the palms and/or backs of their hands in a 2x3 orientation.
- They may have one or multiple apparition types: accumulation, ether, fossilized, liquid, or sludge.

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These little ghosts start off life with the ability to phase through everything, which is convenient when it comes to the undergrounds of Mausolia. Their receptors and ribbon arms are detached from their body, though never float too far away; some already have a hole in their chest where a core should be, while others develop it a couple of days later. As they move through objects, bits of organic or inorganic material gradually attach themselves to the baby Igalyph, forming their hair, brow bone, and ribbed cage; the parts that get stuck inside their body create their apparition type. Their previously detached parts meld into their newly constructed upper body at adolescence.

✧ Baby Features
- Their false chargers will carry over to their adult form.
- Their receptors and ribbon arms are detached but float nearby.
- Their arms are actually one connected ribbon.
- They have little to no facial features other than glowing hollow eyes.

Origin Tale

Maalune

Years of intense pressure under the ground of Mausolia pressed against bones and metal and other buried things until the spark of life zapped through and a being jolted to awareness. They knew not the meaning of their life, but understood their immediate purpose — excavating the surrounding ground.

They found others, brought to life by the mysterious power beneath the ground, and built colonies, developed societies, and evolved as a whole. Today’s Igalyphs may not remember the first of their kind… or perhaps they do, but are unwilling to share their secrets.

Young Igalyphs may already be tapped into the mind and knowledge of their fellows, or may be separated by distance or other circumstances. They very much develop based on their environment as children, and their upbringing will heavily influence their physical and mental development.

Where does your young Igalyph fit into this society of ghostly beings? Do they know their history, or wish to know? Perhaps they are born on another realm entirely and create new memories with a different society. Does your Igalyph pick up anything interesting for their future body, as a child ghost? Please portray your Igalyph using their baby design or an adolescent design that’s not quite their adult form yet.